Apartments planned for former Enders Road church

TOWN OF MANLIUS – The Manlius Town Board passed a zone change last week that would allow the former home of the Eastern Hills Bible Church at 4600 Enders Road to be converted into apartments.
Since last summer, Grazi Zazzara, president of the Icon Companies, has been pitching Manlius officials on plans to repurpose the 15,000 square foot building for residential use. The parcel abuts commercial zoning on one side and residential on the other.
Last month, Zazzara told the town board that he intends to convert a portion of the parking lots to green space. About 2,000 square feet on one of the upper floors of the building is an existing office space and Zazzara told the board that that portion of the development would likely be used as a leasing office or be rented out as office space.
At a January public hearing on the proposal, two people spoke in favor of the proposal and the town clerk reported that the board had received 15 pieces of correspondence in favor and one in opposition.
The parcel will now fall under the town’s new RM zone, which is intended as a transitional zone between residential and commercial. Prior to granting the zone change for 4600 Enders Road, the board made some modifications to that zone to limit the amount of a development that could be used as retail.
The property, which as a church has been tax exempt, would return to the tax rolls.
Before any construction can begin, the planning board will need to approve site plans for the redevelopment.